Tiger Backgammon Set with Basket Weave

Tiger Backgammon Set with Basket Weave by Hrachya Ohanyan

A tiger with its jaws wide and one clawed paw reaching over the rim of the ring, carved in deep relief on a lid of basket weave. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline. Handmade in beech, with 32 wooden checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded carrying case.

This is the board for the person who buys the biggest, most worked one on the table. The tiger is carved in full depth — fur streaked in long cuts across the cheeks and brow, the mouth open on both rows of teeth, the near paw thrown forward, claws out over a ledge of carved rock — on a cross-hatched ground inside a beaded ring. Round it the lid is cut into cusped panels of basket weave, every strand raised, with diamond lattice in the fields and rope borders.

The game underneath is left clean: pale and dark points with fleur-de-lys tips, a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring on each half, an ornate bronze hinge on the bar, and on the back the weave carries on round the reverse. For the study, the hunting lodge, and the player who likes to be the one whose board gets photographed.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained honey chestnut and varnished
• Carving: tiger head with open jaws and one clawed forepaw over a ledge of rock, in deep relief on a cross-hatched ground inside a beaded ring; cusped panels of basket weave; diamond lattice fields; rope borders; basket weave on the back
• Outline: Classic — a square frame with a moulded rim
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved backgammon board
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• Claws over the edge: the paw is carved reaching past the rock it rests on, so the tiger looks about to come out of the ring.
• Weave edge to edge: the basket weave is cut strand by strand across both covers, so closed it is textured from every angle, not just in the middle.
• Make it theirs: add a name or a date at checkout to mark a birthday, a retirement or years of games together.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? Yes. The tiger, its paw and the rock are carved in deep relief into the beech, the ground behind is cross-hatched, and the basket weave, lattice and rope borders are cut into the same lid. Stain and varnish come last; nothing is printed, cast or applied.

What about shipping and returns? Shipping is free to the US, Canada and Europe, always tracked; other countries pay a flat $100 (Brazil, Chile and New Zealand $200). Every set is covered by our 30-day returns policy.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators. Wipe with a dry, soft cloth and store it closed in its carrying case.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine woodcraft in 1985 and founded his workshop in Yerevan in 2010. This board belongs to his collection of wooden backgammon sets, each one made by hand by the craftspeople of that workshop. Read Hrachya Ohanyan's story or explore the full backgammon collection.

Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.